Please join in and share your 20 Minute Experiences in the Comments–good/bad, it’s all fair game, because sharing your experiences about the process is a great way to figure things out and increase your creativity.

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Brain Wave!

It’s almost November. The holidays are right around the corner.

Wouldn’t a great use of the 20 Minute Technique be to use it to work on making some holiday cards or gifts?

Heck Yes!

You know you wish you made (at least some) of your gifts–and finding the time is always the big challenge. But this way, we can make it actually happen together–20 Minutes at a time.

So what do you say we all try to carve out 20 minutes 3x a week to create handmade bits for the holidays?

Are you in?

The trick is to keep it manageable and fun for yourself. Remember, small, handmade gestures go a long way–don’t let your brain turn this idea into such a gigantic project that you end up doing nothing.

With that in mind, I thought I’d create an do-able idea list to inspire your imagination–so after you read this, if you don’t have a timer yet, head over to local electronics store and get one already.

You’ll be amazed at what you can get done–20 minutes at a time!

Handmade Holidays Idea List

• Stamp & Emboss
  • Still give books to those book lovers, but stamp & emboss them each a special bookmark that’s tucked inside.
    • I wrote about the benefits of making small gifts or parts of gifts last holiday season, and I think this is a perfect example of adding a wonderful handmade touch to a larger gift.
    • I’ve got great links to online stamping resources in this post.
    • If you’ve never stamped and embossed, get great tips and watch my short how-to video here.
    • If you need supplies to get started stamping & embossing, click here or here.

• Handmade Gift Tags or Holiday Cards
  • For another easy, handmade touch, buy your gifts but make your own fabulous gift tags or greeting cards.
  • These could also be stamped and embossed–You could make classic “From/To” tags, or use ribbon and tie your tags around a wine bottle for a cute hostess gift, or send your 10 favorite people a handmade card.

• Decorate Holiday Gift Bags:
  • Rather than create wrapping paper, it’s simpler to decorate plain bags.
  • Just cut strips of decorative paper and/or use paper punches to create repeat patterns that you can glue onto plain gift bags. to make it feel festive, use lots and lots of curly ribbon around the handle.
  • I made this one on the right for a crafting store one season. (You can get often get pre-cut strips and shapes that make this super easy.)
  • Also, here’s a cute, simple Hanukkah gift pail example I also made just using stickers.

• Fabulous, Fast & Easy Decoupage Vase:
  • Get a cheap vase on sale at a big box discounter–look for an elegant, simple shape and don’t worry about the color or design on the surface–it’s even better if you hate it–and transform it with decoupage.
  • My Fast & Easy Decoupage Vase video shows you how. People really love this technique–it’s very do-able.
  • Or, use all the same techniques I show on the vase, but on a simple frame or box instead. Make a set if you’re feeling ambitious.

• Earrings:
  • Earrings are great gifts and perfect for the 20 Minute Club–they’re great gifts and you can make them while watching TV. It’s also a fun way to enjoy using a variety of exciting, special beads without breaking the bank because you don’t need that many.
  • If you want to get started beading or learn about some great online bead resources, click here, here, and here.

• Frame Your Artwork:
  • Use your coupon for a FREE trial of the Creative Breakthroughs Collage Tele-Class and give a work of art or three. I LOVE this idea and may do this myself with some of the collages I created that I’ve really liked.
  • Make it really special with a gallery mat and get an inexpensive metal or wood frame from a big box craft supplies store–they’re always having sales.
  • You’ll be surprised how much matting and framing will take your collage to the next level.
  • A Tele-class session could also be a great way to create the design for your holiday card this season–all you need is a color theme to give your image holiday feeling–blue and white, red and green, metallics, you name it!

• Make Pretty Ornaments!
  • My Glitter Decoupage Ornaments are pretty, inexpensive, and super fast and easy to make. Great teacher and co-worker gifts.
  • My Byzantine Baubles Ornament kit is my personal favorite and also great for the 20 minute technique because you’ll probably work on it in stages and it looks GORGEOUS when you’re done.
  • (Buy any 2 kits and the shipping is FREE.)

• Sew, knit or crochet a gift:
  • It probably helps if  you already know how to sew, knit or crochet, but making a gift can also be an incredible incentive to learn, so if you’ve always wanted to ___________(fill in the blank) maybe now is the time?
  • If threading your sewing machine often stops your sewing efforts, watch my clear how-to video.
  • If you’re looking for inspiring sewing projects for the holidays, I noticed Threads Magazine just released gift project issue.

I’ll keep adding to this list as I think of more ideas.

And if you’ve got some good, do-able ideas as well, please share them in the comments!

Just remember, your handmade gift ideas don’t have to be big. It’s important to keep things doable.

I’ll share my 20 Minute Club gift making efforts with you here each week this holiday season, and I’d really love it if you joined me so you can find yourself adding a wonderful handmade element to your holiday season.

Appreciation

Appreciating yourself is an important part of the 20 Minute Club because it helps you keep your creative momentum going.

Carving out the time to create is important of course, but it’s not enough. Getting (and eventually staying) on your own side is a critical factor for helping you take bigger risks with your work, get yourself out of a creative rut, or just enjoy the process more.

Taking the time to remember to appreciate yourself and all your efforts (big or small, creative or not) is a powerful way to make this happen.

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Here are my five self-appreciations for this week:

1. I appreciate that I took a photo of my latest incarnation in the evolution of my digital collages because I was so struck by how seeing a photo of it hanging up in a room made me feel–so resolved finally–after 6 months of problem solving!

2. I appreciate how much my life in product design has taught me the patience to hang in there through difficult design problems. It took me ages to figure out how to offer my collages big and still have them look the way I wanted them to look, but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, (often 20 minutes here and 20 minutes there, no lie.) until it worked itself out.

3. I appreciate a shift in my thinking this week where I’m no longer questioning whether things I’m trying are going to work, and instead, just working on making them work.

4. I appreciate that I nervously bought professional lights for my videos and photos a couple of  months ago. Owning them is really benefiting me and my projects now, even though I’m still a novice. The right tools help!

5. I appreciate that I’m getting better and better and not letting the quest for perfect get in the way of the good. It’s very helpful. I hope I keep it up.

Your Turn

What do you think? Are you up for creating gifts using your timer and the 20 Minute Technique? Or have you already started on some holiday projects? Please share your thoughts in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!

And maybe it can feel weird or hard or anti-social to sequester yourself away from everyone else to do your 20 Minute Technique. So you don’t.

Especially if you were at work all day and the evening is the only time you see everyone–and they’re watching TV.

And honestly, TV can be an easy respite at the end of a long, hard day. And jeepers, you could use a laugh or two.

So don’t get me wrong, I’m not against TV. I’m just against too much TV.

And because it’s so easy, watching too much TV can be a habit that’s hard to break. I know it is for me sometimes.

Therefore, I thought it might be useful to talk about ways to be creative in front of the TV rather than just talk about how it would be better not to watch it.

Because the point is to be creating more–however we can get that to work.

Below are 5 creative activities that don’t take up space, aren’t that messy, and can be done while watching TV or hanging out with loved ones who do.

**I’d also like you to consider trying one of these suggestions for your TV watching time even if you normally define yourself as a particular “something else” artistically–a painter or felter or a mosaic-maker–or anything else that might require lots of room or water or mess and therefore doesn’t work so well on couches or in nice looking living rooms.

Like the stock market, it’s good to be a little diversified–it might fuel your “primary” creative endeavors in surprising ways.

5 Creative Things to Do in Front of the TV

1. Bead. Beading is small and portable and you can do it anywhere. It’s also a little contagious so the people around you might start to join in, and then you’re connecting with the people you love on a whole new level. In addition, the options are endless and skill level doesn’t matter–you can enjoy yourself right away with beading.
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   Read my 5 Great Reasons to Start Beading Today if you’re not convinced yet. I’ve also got lots of great info on where to buy tools and findings along with practical bead buying tips so you get the most bang for your buck.
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2. Needle Arts. This could be knitting or embroidery or hand sewing. If you’re thinking as you read this, “I’m not patient enough for that.” you might be surprised. It can be incredibly soothing–you just need to figure out which one suits you best. (It’s also helpful to not expect to be an expert in 5-10 minutes. Good things come to those who enjoy the process, or something like that.)
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   Knittinghelp.com has fabulous videos for beginner knitters.
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3. Blind drawing. If you’d like to work on your drawing skills, this is a great activity for the 20 Minute Technique and for hanging out in front of the TV. All you need is a sketch pad, a pencil and something in front of you to stare at.
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   Set the timer and, without looking at your drawing, draw what you see in front of you as if your pencil is touching it–feeling all the planes and surfaces. Try not to pick your pencil up or look down at what you’re doing.If you finish quickly, just start over or turn your attention to something else in the room and draw that.
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   Don’t try to make your drawing “good” by “fixing” it–this is a observational exercise and a chance to improve your line quality by getting your judging brain out of the way.
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   (You’ll also find that listening to your show is mostly enough. The commercials will annoy you more though, so be ready to hit the mute button.))
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4. Card Making. Everyone loves getting a card and a handmade one is a wonderful surprise. The small format makes it doable on the couch with a tray or sitting in front of the coffee table (I always end up on the floor). You can do the rubber stamp thing or use it as a way to scrapbook and preserve memories. If you need a few ideas to get jump-started, pick up a Take Ten magazine which is dedicated to making cards.
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5. Polymer Clay. Small and portable, soft polymer clays are easy for beginners and it’s soothing to work the clay in your hands. You can make beads, cover pens, or construct small boxes and frames. There are so many books out there on how to get started, find something that excites you.
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   It’s another category like beading that provides satisfaction at every skill level–so can start enjoying yourself right away.

What have I left out? Do you have any suggestions for creating in front of the TV? Do you create in front of the TV? Please share in the comments, I’d love to hear.

Today’s post is a continuation of my previous posts about basic bead types, (Bead Buying Tips I and Bead Buying Tips II ) why and when you might need them, and some links to several online resources.

So, where was I? Oh yes, that’s right–I was planning to wax on about the wonderfulness of  spacer beads, so let me get right on that.

The Wonderfulness of Spacer Beads

It’s important to own a variety of “spacer” beads. Spacer beads are small or flat(ish) beads that you put in between your larger beads to create “visual interest”. (Warning: “visual interest” is a big phrase of mine…) Seriously, using spacer beads will make your projects look more sophisticated and professional (because of the aforementioned “visual interest”) and besides that, they’re fun. Spacer beads are often metal, but really, you can use any small bead as a spacer.

Metal Spacers

I usually prefer metal spacer beads myself–there’s wonderful variety (although simple is often best) and I love a hint of shiny metal to break up all the color. Rio Grande has a great selection of base metal and sterling spacer beads. Bali Silver beads are also very pretty spacers but often quite pricey. There are, however, some nice imitations in base metal that are much more affordable. Check them all out and see what you think.

I’m really crazy about African beads in general, but I especially love using African metal beads as spacers–often rough hewn, I love how they look against polished glass, gemstones, etc. I noticed Rings and Things offers a good selection on their site–in fact, I’m a little scared that I just found that link, as I just woke up the insatiable little bead buyer inside me!

Glass Seed Beads

Seed beads are tiny, like seeds, hence their name. They make great spacer beads, are super economical (per bead) and come in a wonderful array of colors and finishes.

Glass seed beads always have a “number” associated with them and it’s their size–it’s supposed to tell you how many seed beads per inch–a size “1″ seed bead is the biggest size and a size 15 is the smallest.

In my experience, people generally use seed beads sized between “6″ and “11″–and 11 will probably feel pretty darn small to you. (In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a size “15″, let alone used one.) Seed beads are often sold in tubes, small bottles or clear wrapped packs of 100s because they are so small.

I tend to use metallic, silver lined, and AB finishes the most. Although I usually buy my seed beads locally, I’ve provided a link below–I’ve never heard of this company, but they seem to specialize in seed beads. They sell them by the “hank”, but don’t let that freak you out–it’s actually the traditional way to sell them: http://www.allseedbeads.com/index.htm

Delica Beads–A Specialized Seed Bead

“Delica” beads are perfectly cylindrical machine-cut Japanese glass seed beads. Use these beads when creating woven jewelry or for beading on a loom because they’re a very consistent size, and that really matters when you’re weaving beads.

Fire Mountain gems sells a lot of delica beads:

http://www.firemountaingems.com/seedbeads.asp?navsrc=2

Bead Caps

Bead caps are like a spacer bead on steroids–almost opposite of a basic, they can make a dull bead fab and a fab bead killer, but they can be expensive, and you should probably just buy a few at first to get a feel for how to use them effectively. A good strategy might be to make a pair of earrings using one to “cap” the  main bead of each earring. Rio has a nice selection here.

• Gemstones

These are kind of fancy to call a  “staple”,  as they generally cost much more than glass beads, but they’ll find you sooner or later, and you’ll suddenly desperately “need” some, so I might as well give you a quick overview.

Gemstones, or semi-precious stones (same thing) tend to be sold on strands, so the initial investment is usually greater than buying glass beads. Sometimes the strands are graduated, (getting smaller at the ends and bigger in the middle) which might affect your design plans, so think about that before you buy.

Some beginning beaders also wonder why those strands aren’t already considered finished necklaces-what’s left to bead for goodness sake? Well, the string holding them together isn’t strong enough for wearing, and there’s no closure or room to attach one, if it were. And once you start using spacer beads and mixing and matching, you’ll realize how not finished that strand was until you came along.

You’ll also find that there are a million stone names you never heard of–don’t worry, neither has anyone else really. All it means is that some semi-precious stones are more semi-precious than others, but the price usually reflects that. And these obscure stones are usually in similar colors to stones too expensive for the average person to buy–maybe you can’t afford lapis lazuli, for instance, but you can afford sodalite and get a similar look. And hey, that’s all good.

I usually buy stones locally, and while I’ve never bought from this online company in the link below, they have a pretty straightforward site that’s actually a little clearer about the whole gemstone thing than my usual suspects, so I thought it might be worthwhile to check out: http://www.vitabeads.com/index.htm

• Pendants or Focal Beads

If you’re designing a necklace (and any artwork for that matter), it’s great to have a focal point that draws the eye in. Pendants can be that focal point and also function as an effective anchor for the whole design–from determining color size and length of your necklace, to providing a starting point for building your piece (just start with the pendant and work you’re way out from there).

Vitabeads has some great pendants in stone to inspire you and Fire Mountain Gems also offers a big variety, (some more exciting than others).

• The Tip of the Iceberg

Okay, I’m sure there’s lots more, but that’s a start. Just remember–there are truly great beads in every medium: polymer clay, paper, porcelain, wood, metal clay, you name it.  It’s also important to remember that you can actually make many kinds of wonderful beads yourself for very little money–and we’ll be getting to that shortly!

In the meantime, get yourself some beads, make something cool, and show me your creations, I’d love to see!

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If you don’t already, one day, you’ll have a bead collection that’s a fabulous ensemble cast, with you as the director arranging them into wonderful and interesting combinations that are somehow greater than the sum of their parts.

In Beads: Buying Tips Part 1: I wrote about strategies for visiting the bead store without going broke. In this post and the next one (about beading, that is), I’m going to review several basic bead styles for folks who might be new to beading and provide a few links so you can see some examples and have somewhere to start if you need to buy your beads online.

Today’s post will focus on a few glass beads that I consider staples –beads I tend to use very often in my own projects–and my next post will focus on spacers, gemstones, and pendants.

Glass Beads

Glass beads seem to come in every shape and style and there’s a ridiculous number of choices to sift through in just one lifetime. I personally find many of these styles a little on the boring side, so I’ll ignore them for now and just focus on a few of my favorites that make great staples for your stash:

• Fire Polished

Czech Fire polished glass beads are machine faceted and come in lots of shapes and sizes. They will be your go-to beads that you’ll reach for again and again in your designing. The facets help catch the light and give your beads a subtle sparkle. Fire polished beads are offered in a variety of finishes–two of my favorite finishes are metallic and Aurora Borealis–AB for short. The AB finish is a thin metallic sheen that enhances the bead color and creates sophisticated color variations.

They also come in a wide range of sizes from 2mm (very tiny) to 20mm, although you’re most likely to see 8mm, 10mm and 12mm. They also come in bicones, teardrops (which can be great for earrings), and a rondelle shape–kind of a flattened circle that ‘s very nice and makes a great spacer (see below for more about spacers).

Fire Mountain Gems has a nice selection you can take a look at:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/czech_firepolished_beads.asp

And this company has a good chart for sizes:
http://www.modebeads.com/system/scripts/search.cgi?category=325

• Cathedral Beads

Cathedral beads are usually Czech and have some faceting as well as a metallic glazing on the top and bottom of each bead–they add a bit of texture and variety to your design and the metallic touch is subtle but nice. Another good staple.

Fire Mountain Gems also has a nice selection in this style:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/shopping.asp?skw=KWGLCZECHCATHEDRAL

• Glass Pearls

The more I work with glass pearls, the more I like them, even though they aren’t the real thing. Actually, they’re easier to work with than the real thing (no tiny holes), cheaper, and come in a fun range of colors.

This site had a nice explanation about glass pearls and a lot of other interesting beading information you might like:
http://www.beadinglife.com/glass-pearl-beads.html

I hope this information helps and the links get you excited to bead. If you’ve got any favorite glass bead styles I didn’t mention, please suggest them in the comments section–I’d love to hear from you.
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Gorgeous beads are why most of us started beading in the first place. But it can be hard to know where to start (or where to finish for that matter), so I thought I’d share some thoughts on strategic bead buying.

The (Good and Bad) Bead Frenzy

What you need to do, of course, is buy beads that get you excited to make things. The tricky part about buying beads is the dizzying array (pretty colors everywhere!) and everything seems so cheap: twenty cents here, five cents there, a dollar over there.-ooh, cheap and pretty! But it all adds up, and the next thing you know, you’re whipped into a shopping-endorphin-driven-bead-buying-frenzy and wake up in a doorway somewhere three days later (alone and broke) and can barely remember a thing. Either that, or you wander around in a daze of visual over-stimulus and leave empty-handed. Ah, it’s a tangled retail web we weave, my friends.

Strategy #1: A Plan Can Be Good

It can be easier to  figure out what to get if you have a project in mind–maybe you’ve ripped a cool new style out of a magazine that you want to try to copy, maybe you have a necklace that you’d like to make matching-ish earrings for, or perhaps you’ve secretly sketched your own design that you’ve got half crumpled in your hand in case anyone sees. The important thing here is to keep your project in mind (bring that picture with you!) and not wander off the trail as you get distracted by other beads beckoning you from across the store.

Strategy #2:  “One Thing” Can Be Even Better

OR, if you’re not quite so clear yet, you could do something even simpler. You could decide to just make one simple thing–go in to buy beads for a stretch bracelet, say, or maybe a one great pair of earrings-after all, you only need a few beads and findings to make either of those projects. And if your beads are fantastic, the simpler the design, the better.

This approach will let you concentrate on choosing the prettiest beads you can find, along with the requisite extra bits–a couple-three spacer beads, ear wires, head pins, or just beads and elastic and by golly, you’re done! (This can also be a great strategy if you go in with young teenage girls: “Everyone gets to buy supplies for one pair of earrings and that’s it! No, this time, I mean it!”)

Just know that going into a bead store without a project in mind can be like going to the grocery store hungry. And you know what happens when you do that!

Strategy #3: Choose a Color Scheme

Yet another strategy is to pick a color family you want to work with–black and crystal can be a great way to start for a lot of people because most everyone wears black. Or, if you don’t wear black. look at your wardrobe and buy the same colors that you do wear. Just note that if you’re sticking to a small color family, it’s important to buy several sizes and shapes in that color(s) --this helps you create some “visual interest” when you create your beaded treasures.

Another great angle for more general bead buying (versus the one-pair-of-earrings approach)  is to choose beads that represent each area of the color wheel. I talk about how to do that in more detail here: Save Money Buying Supplies–Let the Color Wheel Help You.

Just remember that colors don’t have to “match” each other exactly to “go together” well. But if you want to be on the safe side, just choose a small tonal range of one color, use two or three different shapes and sizes of beads in that color, and create a repeat pattern, and you’ll pretty much be guaranteed to create a pleasing design.

And let’s face it, at the end of the day, color is highly personal, so if you love it, then it’s good.

Strategy #4: Yard Sales, Flea Markets, and Salvation Army

Back in the day, I used to keep my stash replenished by buying cheap jewelry at yard sales and thrift stores and then taking them apart. Often you can liberate great looking beads from broken or outdated jewelry selling for less than a dollar. Learn to look past the ugliness of the whole and focus on its particulars–does it have a great clasp? Sterling spacers? An unusual pendant? Whoa, is that turquoise you see there? An old lady’s vintage items or some gawdawful necklace from the eighties can yield some great, unusual beads or findings that you can re-tool into a contemporary design. Just remember not to get too visibly excited when you find a hidden treasure in their trash–you want to be able to negotiate!

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How do you buy beads? Do you have a great stash? Leave a comment and let us know your bead buying strategies. My next blog post on this subject will be an overview of a variety of basic bead types and styles  so you can learn the lingo a bit and know what you’re looking at as you shop for the perfect beads for your next beading project.
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Pretty beads are only half the story when you want to create jewelry. Just as important are the bits that hold them together and they’re called findings or components. It’s always easier (especially at first) to see things in person when you buy them, so visit your local bead store if you have one-even Michael’s or AC Moore will do in a pinch. However, sometimes that isn’t possible, so I’ve armed you with lots of links on where to buy your findings online.

FINDINGS

What the heck is a “finding” anyway? Findings are the parts that connect your beads together. These include ear wires, jump rings, head pins, eye pins, and clasps. This post is a great list of what you need to get yourself started.

Ear Wires

There are hundreds of neat ear wires to choose from, but most are variations on three basic styles–Lever Backed, French Hook, and Kidney–French Hooks are in the picture on the left here. These can be found at any store or online beading venue.

While I think the beginning beader should generally use base metal findings when they’re just starting out,  it’s probably a good idea to spend the extra money to get sterling silver or gold ear wires (especially if you’re making a gift) because many peoples’ ears are bothered by base metal.

Any bead supplier online will have ear wires, but here are two links to simplify your life:

http://www.firemountaingems.com/shopping.asp?skw=KWEARFISHSS

http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/SearchPage.aspx?page=GRID&free_text|1240428259817=ear%20wire

Jump Rings

Jump rings are small wire circles with a slit in them so you can open and close them to attach beads and connect chain and different findings together. Very handy. You need to get a variety of sizes of jump rings-2 or 3 is probably good to start.

The jump ring thing can be a little complicated because there’s a million sizes and styles.

Ideally, jump rings are described by their circumference and the thickness of the wire. Get wire that’s around .040″ or .032″ thickness if you can–they should be nice and strong. Not everyone describes their jump rings this way (or at all for that matter), so I’ve provided two links to PDF catalog pages of a Manhattan jewelry supplier (Metalliferous) that has a great selection of both base metal and silver jump rings.

To get the the base metal PDF catalog, click here and then click on the Base Metal Findings link, and that will open the base metal findings catalog. If you view it at 100% or print the pages, the sizes you see should be life-size. Even if you end up buying somewhere else, I think it’s a good visual aid.

If you do want to buy from here, and you’re not sure what to get, you might try these styles to get started: BMF372W and BMF374W.

For their catalog of silver findings, click here and then click on the Silver Findings link, which will open up a huge alphabetical list. Click on Jump Rings and the PDF of those findings will launch. I’d personally go with SRJ6, SRJ7, and SRJ9.

If you’re shopping somewhere where there  isn’t any information about the thickness of the jump ring wire, try opening one.  If you can open it easily with your fingers, it’s too soft. You should need pliers to open and close it properly because you don’t want your beaded project to break.

To learn more about how to correctly open and close a jump ring, watch my short video.

If you want the check out other sterling silver jump rings, Rio Grande also has a great selection:
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/SearchPage.aspx?page=GRID&free_text|1240428294303=jump+rings&category|cat_132|502=Jump+Rings&category%7ccat_502%7c1990=Silver

Head Pins

A head pin looks kind of like a sewing pin, but it’s not sharp on the open end and won’t hurt you. It’s a good basic for making earrings or drops for a necklace. They come in a big variety of lengths, but just get the 2″or 1 ½” size to start with-unless you know you like to wear very big earrings, then consider something longer.

Very thin base metal (24 gauge) and sterling silver will bend more easily (tempting when you’re still learning your way around your pliers), but a thicker wire would be a better choice at the beginning.

Here’s a nickel head pin that could do the trick:

http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=68061015&page=GRID&free_text|1240939452775=head+pin

Eye Pins

Eye pins are like head pins and have the same job, but eye pins have a loop on the end so you can dangle other beads off of them and create nice movement for your earrings. Again, 2″- 1 ½” is a good standard size, but they come in all lengths.

It’s really best if your head pins and eye pins aren’t too soft, since it takes more skill to create a wrapped loop to secure a soft wire. If you can’t open the package to test if you can easily bend the wire, then just buy a few of a style until you find a sturdy version. Rule of thumb: If the wire looks very thin, the pins are probably not very sturdy.

Here are eye pins  from Fire Mountain:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/details.asp?PN=H201724FN

Clasps

There are hundreds of very pretty and interesting clasps, but just start with a lobster clasp to get yourself going and be able to finish your necklace and wear it. Lobster clasps come in a variety of sizes and finishes, but I recommend a medium sized lobster clasp at first–easier to open. But if you make really delicate things, go ahead and get a small one to match.

Here’s a page of options from Fire Mountain:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/search.asp?skw=lobster

Beading Wire

You need to string your necklace or bracelet onto something, and I strongly recommend that you use beading wire unless you are using leather or are knotting pearls in a traditional way. Why struggle with knotting and awkward gluing when you can use bead wire which is strong, flexible and clean. I like Soft Touch bead wire from Soft Flex because it’s very flexible and doesn’t kink as much as some others, but there are a lot of styles and you can do fine with any of them. Accuflex and Acculon are two other brands as well as Beadalon. (The Michael’s near me only carries the Beadalon brand.)

Soft Touch/ Soft Flex

Bead wire comes in a dizzying array of options, but I generally use the Soft Flex brand’s medium (.019) size for my general beading activities. Anywhere from .015 to .019 is good though, so if you use another brand, just check the size is somewhere in that range. If you are making very delicate pieces, then you can get very lightweight bead wire, and if you are using giant stones, I recommend the heaviest size so your necklace doesn’t fall off your neck someday and all your beads start rolling away from you in different directions like they’re on a jailbreak or something. Somebody stop those beads!

You can buy a 100 foot roll of Soft Flex Medium Wire from the company itself:
http://www.softflexcompany.com/ProductDetail.jsp?LISTID=4CCB0000-1158935157

Too expensive? Start smaller and just get 30 feet:
http://www.softflexcompany.com/ProductDetail.jsp?LISTID=4CE50000-1158935172

And their premium brand, called Soft Touch, costs a little more but you might find it worth it:
http://www.softflexcompany.com/CategoryProductList.jsp?cat=Soft+Touch+Wire

Crimp Beads

Not really beads, crimp beads are the way you close beading wire when you are done with your necklace. You can’t tell from the picture, but you “squish” them with a special crimping plier to close your necklace. They create a nice strong, professional finish.

Basically you can determine which size crimp you should buy by doubling the number of the bead wire you’re using. So if you use the .019 medium size Soft flex wire, you’d want a crimp bead around .038 in size. A little bigger or a little smaller will also do in a pinch.

Try one of these from Rio Grande:

Silver: (Item # 693-393)
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetName=693393&page=GRID&free_text|1240497418171=crimp+bead&category|cat_132|432=Crimp+Beads&category|cat_432|1686=Silver

Base Metal: (Item # 42015612) Slightly bigger but they’d work fine.
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetName=42015612&page=GRID&free_text|1240497996926=brass+crimp+tubes

Stretch Bracelet Elastic (optional)

I added this category at the last minute because stretch bracelets are easy and fun to make-and you can make a nice fashion statement wearing several at once. And depending on your bead choices, you can create very different looks.

I usually use Opelon brand elastic, but I don’t have a strong opinion about which elastic is superior. Opelon comes in a bunch of cool colors, but you really don’t see the color once you string all your beads and tie your knot.

Here’s a vendor that sells Opelon (never used this site myself but it came up high in my Google search:
http://www.janesfiberandbeads.com/opelon.htm

This elastic is a little thinner, but if you like to use semi-precious stones, which often have smaller holes, you”ll probably  want this one instead:
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=63532990&page=GRID&free_text|1240499053332=elastic

And Fire Mountain sells one slightly thicker:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/search.asp?skw=elastic

Big Eye Beading Needle

You don’t necessarily need one if you’re making a stretch bracelet, but it can make your life easier.  A Big Eye Needle in the beading world is a needle whose entire length is an “eye” or hole-so it’s super thin and go can thru a lot of beads. You can tug sheer ribbon through bead holes using the Big Eye Needle as well. Just remember it’s not a sewing  or embroidery needle with a thick eye at the end, it’s a super slender needle just for beading. (I scanned one of mine so you can see how they sell them–individually taped to a piece of paper.) I tend to use the 2.25″ size.

This example on Rio’s site helps you see how the whole needle is one big eye:
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=635050&page=GRID&free_text|1240499458472=big+eye+needle

Bead Reamer

You only need a bead reamer if you are going to work with semi-precious stones because often the stone holes are uneven and some can be quite small (especially in fresh water pearls, for example). So as you can see from the picture, it’s a very hard pointed needle type thing with rough, sandpaper-like edges that allows you to gently grind a bigger hole in your stone. It’s sort of like a pen, and the style on the left comes with several tips and they’re stored inside it–the top unscrews.

Here’s one example:

http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=111020&page=GRID&free_text|124094171

Bead Boards and Jewelry Trays

Bead Boards can be great because you can lay your design out and also know when you have enough beads laid out for the necklace length you want.

A simple flat tray is also a handy work surface because it’s a great way to keep your latest beading project both portable and all together in one spot. You can even have a different tray for each project.  Love that idea. Classic jewelry trays are shallow and black. You can buy a velvet insert to keep the beads from rolling around too much, but of course a regular tray you have lying around the house works perfectly fine, just place a towel or a piece of cloth on the bottom to keep your beads from rolling back and forth and driving you crazy.

Here’s a basic bead board at a reasonable price: http://www.firemountaingems.com/details.asp?PN=H201014BS

Here’s an example of a classic jewelry tray:
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=40500011&page=GRID&free_text%7c1240434605123=tray

And here’s an example of a velvet insert pad:
http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=40505011&page=GRID&free_text%7c1240434757364=velvet+insert

Storage

You also need to store your beads and findings somewhere. There’s a lot of cute little storage containers out there, but I like your basic translucent plastic organizer box that many places sell. You might find it useful to keep your findings in one box and your beads in another–and as you accumulate beads (don’t worry, you will), it can be good to keep like colors together in their own boxes.

Another nice feature of the unromantic plastic storage bins is that they stack well, so you can slide them under the bed or in the closet when you’re not using them. In addition, when you’re sitting on your couch watching TV and beading, your bead storage trays can stack nicely on the floor near your feet taking up very little real estate, so you can have your entire bead stash in a tidy pile and just pull out a few beads as you need them.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. but Michael’s also has trays like this too:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/details.asp?PN=H201088PK

Phew! I Think We’re Done

Well, this should definitely get you started on a lifetime of happy beading. Do you have favorite findings you consider a “must have” that I didn’t include here? Other sources that you think are great and would like to share? Please add your thoughts in the comments section, I’d love to hear from you!
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You don’t need to spend a million dollars on your basic beading tool kit, but if you get the very cheapest, it’ll probably just make your life harder-especially if you’re just starting out.

You’ll see some cheap tools if you search on Google, but if they’re ridiculously cheap, they also might be ridiculously small, which can be hard to tell from a picture online.

I’m providing links for places that sell the tools I am suggesting, because I thought it would be a lot more helpful than just some vague recommendations. That said, I haven’t bought from all the retailers listed here–I just found them when I searched and their prices seemed fair.

PLIERS

You need two sets of pliers: round nose and chain (flat) nose.
I know that there are a lot of choices of pliers out there and it can feel overwhelming. Don’t believe the hype–at least at the beginning.

So really, for almost everything you do, you just need two types of pliers. I’ve been beading a long time and I just use these two styles. Some folks will disagree with me and swear by different styles of pliers, but no one would disagree that if you are just starting out, round nose and flat nose are the way to go. There’s plenty of time to be a plier snob later. (More likely is that if you continue to bead, you’ll just get yourself another set of both styles in slightly different sizes. Two of the same can be handy.)

Here’s a couple of link for simple decent pliers from an online retailer I haven’t bought from, but they’re both a good price:

Round Nose Pliers

https://www.beadaholique.com/p-10569-beadsmith-jewelry-fine-round-nose-micro-pliers.aspx

Chain Nose Pliers:

http://www.beadaholique.com/p-11124-beadsmith-jewellers-micro-pliers-chain-nose-flat-nose.aspx

WIRE CUTTERS

You can get wire cutters that are called  “side cutters”, and they are fine. But you can also get wire cutters specifically designed to cut bead wire called “flex wire cutters”. Since I’m basically recommending in another post (coming soon!) that you only use beading wire to create your necklaces and bracelets, I recommend that you get yourself some “flex wire cutters”. I own a pair myself. The flex cutter will also cut your other wire too–head pins, eye pins, etc., so no need to get both side and flex cutters.

NOTE: Neither the flex nor the side cutters will cut memory wire, which require its own specialty cutters because the wire is so very hard, hard, hard. If you want to create pieces using memory wire, buy the cutters especially designed for them so you don’t ruin your everyday workhorse wire cutters.

Here are two links for the flex cutter–I haven’t bought from either retailer myself, but not everyone carries these, so I thought I’d share what I found:

Flex Wire Cutter

https://www.beadaholique.com/p-10546-xuron-sharp-flush-cutter-pliers-wire-soft-flex.aspx

https://www.lr-assoc.com/BrightonBeads-Secure/product_info.php?cPath=48&products_id=189&osCsid=ad251af8c06dfff2c4bf4260a7744a36

If you already have side cutters or flush cutters, great, use them in good health and don’t worry about it.  They might wear out a little sooner when you cut your bead wire, but no biggee.

CRIMPER

Okay, you need this weird tool if you are going to make necklaces because I believe you really should use flexible bead wire to make necklaces and that requires using crimp beads to close them off. I mean, gluing and knotting cord is usually just a big drag (and harder than it sounds to make a strong decent knot), and why bother when crimping bead wire is strong, easy and look so profesh?

Not sure what I mean about bead wire and crimip beads? I’m going to have a blog post about that soon, but in the meantime, Artbeads.com has a great lesson on how to use the crimp tool to finish your necklace–make sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to watch the excellent video:
http://www.artbeads.com/howtousecrto.html

Oh, and here’s a link to buy the crimper (they offer several sizes, but I think this is fine for getting started):
http://www.artbeads.com/tool-100.html

I hope this helps.
Did I forget to mention a tool you think is a must-have? Please share your thoughts and experiences about beading tools in the Comments section below!
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This video shows you how to use jewelry pliers to correctly open a jump ring. I am using my old pliers so you can see that your tools don’t have to look fancy to do the job.

One thing I didn’t emphasize in the video is that you don’t have to open the jump ring very wide–just enough to slip on your beads or connectors. The less your jump ring is distorted, the better.

Happy viewing and write to me in the comments section if you have any questions!

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Compact and Friendly

The first two great things about beading are; 1.) It takes up very little space in your home, and 2.) you can bead and still be social with your family and friends. You don’t have to “go away” or have a special room to bead, you can bead in your lap. And this allows you to sit in front of the TV and make things.

This also means that you don’t have to give up your creativity to be with your family or vice versa. You just can’t say that about every creative activity!

In fact, if you have kids and you sit down to bead in front of the TV, they’ll probably want to join you, and wouldn’t that be nice?

No Fuss No Muss

3.) Beading isn’t messy. It doesn’t involve glue or water and it doesn’t ruin your manicure. (Okay, it isn’t great for your manicure, but it isn’t the worst offender by far!). This also goes back to being able to sit in front of the TV-your hands are dry, there is nothing to spill and when the phone rings, you can answer it.

Custom Gift-Giving

What’s the fourth reason? Once you get your tools and a some beads, you can make very affordable, custom gifts for your friends and relatives in short order–so if you suddenly remember your best friend’s birthday is today, you can whip up a pair of earrings in no time flat, and give her a gift in her favorite color and style. This will  make her feel special and you can continue to be the disorganized, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants person you always were. (Phew, because I’m too old to change now!)

Teenage Daughters

See #4. No seriously. If you get your teenage daughter beading, you can control the kind of crazy spending on gift giving that can happen once a girl hits the seventh grade and all her friends matter more to her than you (not really, it just seems that way). She can make all her friends a pair of earrings for birthdays and the holidays at a fraction of the cost of what it take to buy them. Once she starts beading, the two of you can rip ideas out of catalogs, newspapers, and magazines for inspiration. (In Style always talks about what the stars are wearing…) With just a few beading skills, anyone can create quite a range of earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

It’s Fun!

And, I almost forgot, beading is fun and easy and anyone can do it. (Okay, 6 reasons.) Beads are beautiful, collectible, and a great obsession. And almost all women love jewelry, and when people  say, “I love your earrings”, you’ll say,” Oh, thanks! I made them myself.”

Are you ready to start beading now? Click on the Beading link in the nav bar to learn more about tools, findings, bead buying and more to get that bead thang going.

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